Jim Caldwell

The NFL's recent efforts to strengthen its minority hiring practices by bolstering enforcement of its longstanding Rooney Rule have been followed by a firing cycle that has disproportionately affected the league's African-American head coaches, significantly dwindling their ranks.

Five of the eight coaches fired leaguewide since midway through the regular season are African-American. That has left only three minority coaches in the NFL as the carousel spins anew to replace those coaches just fired.

The sport continues to grapple with its minority-hiring issues 16 years after team owners, under the threat of litigation, enacted the Rooney Rule in December 2002. The rule is...

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The NFL's recent efforts to strengthen its minority hiring practices by bolstering enforcement of its longstanding Rooney Rule have been followed by a firing cycle that has disproportionately affected the league's African-American head coaches,...